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David and Goliath

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Natan Leibzon
As a multilingual innovator and entrepreneur attending Bar-Ilan University for law, Natan Leibzon has become well versed in critical thinking
… [More]under pressure and making fateful decisions when they count the most. His passion lies with changing the world, and is determined to go through any obstacle for such a vision. Natan has a proven timeline of learning from his mistakes to quickly find the "next big thing," and move forward. As a pitch expert and challenge undertaker, Natan possess the entrepreneurial mindset and experience others may lack. [Less]

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Once upon a time, many years ago, something extraordinary happened – the battle of David versus Goliath.

Little David was alone, and was thought to have no chance against the mighty Goliath (David didn’t even have Captain America to back him up). But despite the odds stacked against him little David, he won. He won brilliantly.

The news spread all over the realms that the skinny boy warrior defeated the terrible bully. Everyone praised David and it was then that the world started to support the underdog.

Now, that same land which David defeated Goliath on has within it two nations, strife with conflict. Despite the passage of countless years, once again one could compare Israel and those who identify as Palestinian in the West Bank to David and Goliath. Though the past would have us belief that David, the righteous underdog, continually won against the bully the struggle at present between David and Goliath is not as simple as it seems.

At some point, the people of the world began to look suspiciously upon David, “Wait a minute,” they said, “if David wins time after time, maybe David is actually the bully. Maybe Goliath is really the victim.” Goliath understood the mood of the world and decided to change his strategy – instead of directly attacking David with stones; he saw the potential in showing himself as the victim, and turning the world in his favor.

David noticed this trick, but he couldn’t afford to let go of his slingshot. There were Goliath’s to the north, west, and south ready to strike. So David developed intellectually, technologically, and militarily, while Goliath incited hate among those who loved David.

Goliath’s game worked. Calls from around the world called David a criminal and worse. Some compared him to the devil, “How could David abuse the weak and poor Goliath? Captain America is right next to him!”

David, the first underdog, was once able to convince the world to root for him. Now it seems that no matter what he does, he will always be Goliath, while those who play the weak and the poor, and receive the worlds support for it, made it look that way.

The Moral?

Little Israel is David, but at some point the world began to look at him as Goliath. From underdog sheep herder to the sole protectorate of democracy in the modern powder keg, David went from weak to strong.

If you look narrowly at Israel – Palestinian conflict is a struggle between the haves and the haves-not, and you may be right because Israel stronger. Israel has dedicated itself to developing technology, building a strong army, improving education, health, and promoting the creativity of start-ups. At the same time the Palestinian government plays the role of the haves-not and does everything to eradicate a country, instead of trying to build one.

Conflict is never narrow; however, and Israel is still David when looking at the bigger picture and the larger powers of the region. Israel is surrounded by Arab countries on all sides that are Goliath’s – most of them are not really friendly either. Palestinians (historically and self-admittedly) arrived to Israel from those surrounding Arab countries only AFTER it became promising to – that is, only after Jews began to flourish the otherwise vapid wasteland. While the Jews were expelled from (almost) wherever they lived or relegated to ghettos, Palestinians in most cases came from Arab countries to Israel because of the economic possibilities (more on this later).

So while the world wags their find at David as he defends himself against Goliath(s), just remember that Goliath is not as weak, or as helpless as he pretends to be. Remember that Goliath is not really as alone as he presents himself.

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